The Knight's Tale
Folio 157r
25 of 60 folios
To speke of ryal lynage & of rychesse
Thow that sche were a quen or a pincesse
Eche of ȝow bothe is worthi douteles
To weddyn whan tyme is / but neuer theles
975
I speke as for myn sustyr Emalye
For whō ȝe han þis stryf of Ielousye
Ȝe wote ȝore self sche may not wedde two
At onys þey ȝe fyȝte euere mo
To on of ȝow / al be hȳ loth or lef
980
He mote go pipe in an þuy lef
This is to seyn sche may not now han bothe
Al be ȝe neuere so Ielous ne so wrothe
And for thi I ȝow putte in þis degre
That eche of ȝow schal han hese destene
985
As hȳ is schapyn & herkenyth in what wyse
Lo here ȝore ende of that I schal ȝow deuyse
Myn wil is this for plat conclusioū
With outyn ony replicacyoū
Ȝif that ȝow likyth tak it for the beste
990
That eueryche of ȝow schal gon ryȝt were hȳ leste
Frely wt oute rausū or daū~ger
And þis day fifty woukis fer & ner
Eueryche of ȝow schal brynge an hunderit knyghtes
Armyd for lystis vp at alle ryghtis
995
Al redy to darrayne here by batayle
And this be hote I ȝow wt outyn fayle
Vp on myn trouthe & as I am a knyȝt
That whethir of ȝow bothe that hath myght
This is to seyne that wheþer he or þu
1000
May wt hese hūderede as I spak of now
Sle hese contrarye or out of lystis dryue
Than schal I ȝeue Emalye to wyue
To whō that fortune ȝeuyth so fayr a grace
The lystis schal I make ryȝt here in þis plase
1005
And god so wisely on myn soule rewe
That I schal euene Iuge ben & trewe